UBS 2012 ranks Oslo the world's most expensive city. - According to the latest study by the Swiss bank UBS on purchasing power in the different towns and cities of the world, Oslo is today the most expensive city worldwide, while Zurich is at the head of the global ranking for gross salary levels. The 15th edition of “Prices and Earnings” - the 2012 edition - studies 72 towns in 58 countries throughout the world. The analysis compares purchasing power with the help of detailed fact-finding on the price of commodities and services (122 goods and services compared, other than rents), on earnings and working hours. All data have been converted into a single currency and the results weighed up in order to make them comparable. The most expensive towns are, in descending order, Oslo, Zurich and Tokyo. If one adds the price of rents to this, then it is necessary to include New York, Hong Kong and Dubai. The residents of the largest Swiss towns (Zurich and Geneva) and American towns (Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago and New York), with those of Sydney, Australia, have the highest purchasing power in terms of net annual income. From among the salary-earners in the large capital cities, the most hard-working are those in Bangkok (2,312 working hours; 7 days paid leave per year) and Mexico (2,375 working hours; 6 days paid leave per year). When it comes to taxation and social contributions, the heaviest charges are in Brussels (43% of gross salary), Copenhagen (41%), and Oslo (36%). In Bangkok, Caracas and Taipei, the highest tax amount levied does not exceed 8%. (IL/transl.jl)